A mum who was jailed after her son played truant for two years has told how she has forgiven him.
Jane Woodward was sentenced to 42 days in Styal Prison after son Kieran, 15, stayed away from Alder Community High School and had zero attendance for the last two years. The single mum, from Linton Avenue, Hattersley, was released yesterday after serving half her sentence.
She said she does not blame her son for what happened – but wants him to change.
Jane, 38, said: "I spoke to him on the phone and he was really upset. He blames himself for what has happened. I have told him it is not his fault but that I do want him to change.
"I've never been in trouble before. I'm a hard-working single mum. I've never relied on benefits. I'm not perfect but I've tried to do everything to get him to go and he just refuses."
She said the problems began when her elder daughter Kayleigh, 17, had completed her time at school. She claims she begged education chiefs to provide him with alternative lessons such as car repair but this was refused because of costs.
But the school say Kieran has always had attendance problems and they have offered to help the family.
Mum jailed over son who skipped school
The mum of two, who was jailed last month at Tameside Magistrates Court, denied she was a careless parent and said her son's persistent absence had driven her to her wits' end.
Jane said: "I've had him in the car with his uniform on and for half an hour he's refused to leave.
"We put him in the door and he's run off as soon as we've left."
The mum admitted that talks with education welfare officers broke down earlier this year when she suffered personal and financial problems, which saw the family home repossessed and Jane received treatment for depression.
Jane also admitted she had received earlier warnings that her son's absence could land her in jail. She said: "I want him to have an education because I know life will be better for him. He has another year to go.
"We've sat down and talked with him about whether he would go if he could study something practical and he said yes. We've talked about it before with the school and the council.
"They seemed to listen but then said it would cost too much."
The teenager was too embarrassed to speak but grandmother Sally, who the family now live with, and sister Kayleigh said he has been left distraught by his mum's imprisonment.
Despite showing remorse for his actions the teenager has failed to return to school and is now roaming the streets with a group of older teenagers. His refusal to attend school and anger problems led the family to seek medical advice.
Jane, who works at a chip shop owned by her parents Sally and Charlie, said: "We have been seeking counselling but they've told us it's just normal teenage anger. Our only hope is that we can get him interested in something. We don't want him to miss out."
Tameside Council said it had offered Jane a package of measures including a modified timetable and parenting classes.
Richard O'Regan, acting headteacher at the school, disputed the family's version of events, saying Kieran's poor attendance had been a long running issue dating back to his first years at secondary.
He said: "It's been a case of persistent poor attendance. We've offered them a mixed curriculum with the option to do occasional subjects. We've had meetings and they've failed to appear. For whatever reason the habit of going to school has not been instilled in him."
But he said the school had not given up hope on the teenager and would continue to work with the family. A meeting between the newly released mum and the school was due to take place later this week.
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This is chavs v normal people. Sort your child out and get him to school. He's YOUR (the mum's) responsibility!
"He blames himself for what has happened. I have told him it is not his fault" ...well who's fault is it then?
At the end of the day there's only so much - even a mum- can do. If the lad won't go then no-one can make him. It'll be him in nick soon enough I'm sorry to say
Maybe after all the time, his mother was trying her best to get him to actually stay in school.
Repeated requests for her to get him to do this was like banging her head against a wall.
Parenting classes?
It seems she tried everything.
She said "He blames himself for what has happened. I have told him it is not his fault but that I do want him to change. "
Why is she lying to him? That isn't going to help. It's totally his fault.
If the little brat had any respect for himself, his mother, or society, he'd be in school and his mother wouldn't be in jail.
..."roaming the streets with a group of older teenagers".....
That's remorse for you.
Sounds like a spoilt little brat this lad. If your family continue to make excuses for him and try to work to what he wants then he'll end up even more of a waster than he seems to be.
Other people have issues, whether that's money or anything else. They deal with it and bring their children up well.
We've sat down and talked with him about whether he would go if he could study something practical and he said yes.
That would be english and mathematics then.
Of course his behavior is why she was imprisoned, he behaves this way because she condones it and forgives him. In the real world who's going to employ him apart from Gran and Grandad. Keep on indulging him
If parents bring their children up with no respect or control what do they expect....waste of education leading to a life on benefits.And if she thinks that jail is a holiday camp she should be made to finish her sentence.
She should be ashamed of herself. "Despite showing remorse for his actions the teenager has failed to return to school and is now roaming the streets with a group of older teenagers"
If he was my 15-year-old I would chain him to the school desk until 3 o'clock every day if I had to!
It seems that the school has done more than enough and like they say "For whatever reason the habit of going to school has not been instilled in him" which suggests that his mum has never really put any pressure on him to go from a young age.
Authorities should have offered help & guidance NOT jailing the Mother...far worse parents of scallies out there ...who support their kids breaking the law..!!!!
Bring back borstal and stick him in there. He'll soon wish he was back in school!
Why is this woman being hailed as some kind of a hero in this newspaper?
The court clearly decided she was unable to control her child and therefore was responsible for his behaviour, if only every court locked up these irresponsible parents who fail to keep control of their feral children.
LOCK THEM ALL UP and maybe our country would be a safer place for everyone to live in.
Its an hard one to call but I wouldn't have put his mam in prison. If the son thinks anything of his mam he should go to school. Don't be a soft lad.
If he doesn't go school the only job he might end up with is polishing apples on a market stall.
You say this kid has no future, well he has managed to blag and fib the authorities to avoid going to school for 2 years..... He has all the credentials to make a great Prime Minister.. after all that's what the country is used to for a long as i can remember!!
CockneyManc @19:47. Of course she should have been jailed, she has had plenty of time to get her kid into school. if you had read the articles from the beginning you would be aware that the authorities have tried everything they can for two years to help. What else do they have to do, why should they bend over backwards to offer help and at her suggestion, indulge him and alter the curriculum just to suit him?
She was in jail for 42 days,would you think the kid could count to 42, she was in Styal, do you think the kid could spell Styal, in fact could any one in the family?
Another sad state of affairs where the mum forgives too easily, no wonder the society is the way it is. The parents are to blame because they pander to every whim their children have, a bit of backbone would'nt go amiss here.
If education was so beneficial and so positive they wouldn't have to force kids to go and learn - they just create automaton slaves for Asda and Burger King.
Way to go Keiron!
the only way is borstal type schools,it would work.
This is the trouble with people today, simply don't give a damn.
It sounds as though she's done too much forgiving in his life, she should make him remember this for a long time
"zero attendance for the last two years"; "I have told him it is not his fault "; "the school say . . . .they have offered to help the family." It seems the problem lies with the family and not the school. If his mum doing time doesn't wake this lad up, then a life on the dole beckons. If he can't get himself to school, he'll never be able to hold down a job. Would home tutoring be an option? At least then mum or someone would be able to stay with him & ensure he has some education.
MORE FOOL HER FOR "FORGIVING" HIM !!!!!
You don't get this sort of incident over here in Singapore. The schools clamp down on parents and students after just one absence.